EUROPE

from Location International 2022

AUSTRALIA

GOOD LOOKS

EVERYONE THINKS THEY KNOW EUROPE. IT’S THAT VERY FAMILIAR PLACE THAT MANY PEOPLE VISIT ON THEIR HOLIDAYS. BUT NO MATTER HOW WELL WE MIGHT THINK WE KNOW THIS VAST CONTINENT, THERE ARE ALWAYS MORE MYSTERIOUS, UNIQUE AND UNEXPECTED PLACES TO DISCOVER. LOCATION INTERNATIONAL TAKES YOU ON A TOUR OF SOME OF EUROPE’S MOST REMARKABLE LOCATIONS THAT YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE SEEN BEFORE. BY GARY SMITH

EUROPE is well known and much loved for its many thousands of historical buildings, stunning countryside, variety of urban landscapes and rugged geography. It is, however, also home to some wonderfully of-beat locations. Take Lapland for example, where lakes are usually frozen 200 days per year. “We are one of the few places in the world where you get frozen lakes and ponds for a long period of time — and frozen deep enough to carry heavy loads,” Kirsikka Paakkinen, flm commissioner for

Lapland, says. “It’s only when productions are looking for clear, see-through ice that we can’t always deliver as there is usually a lot of snowfall when the waters begin to freeze. We also get regular requests for remote small villages, snowy vistas and snow-covered plains that resemble Siberia. Snow is a strong, emotive and visual element for any production, and even though a lot can be done in the studios these days, flming the real deal still has an impact on the end result. We’re also fnding that luxurious villas and activities with reindeer and huskies are especially popular among makers of music video and reality productions.”

But Lapland is much more than ice and reindeer: “The rugged, treeless landscapes that extend to the horizon in Utsjoki and Enontekiö are really impressive. Around the forests in autumn, the colours are not limited to the trees; there’s lichen and small shrubs spread generously across the ground as well. I’m also a fan of the slightly run-down architecture from the 1960s and 1970s that you still fnd here in small-town centres. When you add the tones of the midnight sunlight to that, you get something unique and atmospheric. Another great look is the snow-crowned trees on Riisitunturi fell in Posio, where Sir David Attenborough recently flmed for his series The Green Planet.”

Serbia, Europe’s chameleon

From Lapland’s uniqueness we head to the adaptability of Serbia, one of the country’s main advantages when it comes to flming on location. “Serbia can ofer a lot of authentic locations, but it can also look like any other part of the world,” says Marija Markovic, location manager at Serbia- and London-based Firefy Productions. “One of the hardest and the most interesting requests we had recently was to raise the water level of the Tamis River in order to enable a stuntman to jump in from the bridge. After we managed to get the authorities to close the dam and raise the water level, it was an amazing feeling.”

Since Serbia has become a popular destination for producers from around the world, locations resembling diff erent capitals are often requested. “We have a variety of architectural styles — everything from Roman archaeological sites, medieval fortresses and baroque palaces, to streets and villas from the inter-war period, Communist-era brutalist architecture and modern-day skyscrapers. So it’s easy to fi nd easily accessible exteriors that resemble cities such as London, Berlin and Paris. On the other hand, the locations that are less accessible are usually the most stunning, such as the deep forests and meadows of Tara Mountain — home to traditional Serbian gods — plus the Balkan Mountains and the rocky hills of Borac,” Markovic adds.

Portugal’s mini-California

Unlike many popular coastal regions, the Algarve is rich and diverse, with Arabic-inspired dwellings, a wealth of medieval structures, modern villas and municipal buildings, plus Europe’s very own mini-California. According to Julian Hicks, executive producer at MovieBox Studios, which is still under construction and situated in the town of Loulé in the Algarve: “We’re a mere 20 minutes from Faro airport. There’s a great marina, fi shing port and hotels, and weaving through the city is a walled castle, and cafes, restaurants and ancient churches.” Easy access and parking throughout make this a city ripe with fi lming opportunities. These include the University of the Algarve's educational complex, which houses several modern, dynamic campuses, reminiscent of an American High School in its design and layout. And as with many organisations and institutions in the region, they are fi lm-friendly. “Then, 20 minutes further along the stunning coastline you end up in Quarteira,” Hicks says. “With modern apartment blocks lining the coastal boulevards, it resembles Miami or Venice Beach. Traveling east you pass through the Hollywood-style boulevards of Quinta De Lago and a mini-Los Angeles-style neighbourhood, lined with palm trees. It has a Beverly Hills/Bel-Air vibe. Not far from these attractive locations you can head out into the uninhabited scrubland and hills, which resemble parts of California.”

Many of the local villages feature quaint backstreets, cafes and hidden gems, and all could double for a town or village in any European country. “MovieBox Studios is fortunate to have the support of the Loulé Film Offi ce, who join us in our excitement for the future of ‘the California of Europe’. The Infernal Machine (2022), starring Guy Pearce, Alex Pettyfer and Alice Eve, was shot on the MovieBox construction site over the summer of 2021, and has secured distribution with Paramount Pictures. We also hosted There’s Always Hope (2021), which at one point was the only active production in the country as COVID-19 struck,” Hicks adds.

The Seskine neighbourhood in Vilnius, Lithuania

Film-friendly Vilnius

In the centre of Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, lies Lukiskes prison, a popular location for flmmakers. “Netfix series Stranger Things (2016-) was in Vilnius flming part of the show’s fourth season, shooting in locations around the Lithuanian capital including the former prison,” the Lithuanian Film Commission’s Jurate Pazikaite says. “The prison was built in the early 1900s, but ceased operations three years ago. Various changing regimes in Vilnius — including Imperial Russia, the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, and fnally, independent Lithuania — all used it as a prison. Now it serves as a location not only for flmmakers, but also for artists and cultural organisations who stage concerts, shows and festivals.”

The Pripyat evacuation scene for HBO’s Chernobyl (2019) involved two months of preparations, because of the need to close a major road in the Vilnius neighbourhood of Fabijoniskes for a whole day: “Big, disruptive shoots take time to arrange, but we can get them done. We also pulled of important day/night scenes in the Seskine neighbourhood for Netfix’s Young Wallander (2020-); and a scene featuring a gallows in front of the Town Hall for HBO’s Catherine the Great (2019),” Pazikaite says. “The Norwegian series State of Happiness (2018-22) and BBC2’s documentary Rise of the Nazis (2019-22) were flmed at Vilnius University, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University and the Lithuanian Railway Museum, plus multiple other period locations around Vilnius.”

Recently, Hollywood director Lasse Hallström and production company Viaplay Studios transformed Vilnius into a late-19th/early 20th-century Stockholm for his upcoming movie Hilma, about Swedish artist and activist Hilma af Klint. “Vilnius is fully prepared to accommodate the needs of foreign flm crews, enable access to high-level professionals and a huge range of shooting locations, as well as flming permits,” Pazikaite says. “The city attracts high-profle productions due to its multifaceted history and its ability to provide backdrops representing diferent historical periods.”

Europe’s sun capital

Mallorca has an impressive variety of locations, including mountains, dramatic clifs and small bays, historical and urban sites — and thanks to the compact nature of the island, most of them are within a one-hour drive. “Also the fact of having one of the mildest climates in Europe, with over 310 sunny days a year, is a plus,” Pedro Barbadillo, director of the Mallorca Film Commission, says. “And we’re well

connected to almost all the main capital cities in Europe, with a wide variety of hotels and restaurants. We’re also improving the sustainability on shoots and working to become a fully green shooting territory within the next year.”

In terms of unique sites, Barbadillo has several suggestions: “The Cap de Formentor and its lighthouse and the 360º curves of the Sa Calobra road are frm favourites. And for buildings, the Castle of Bellver in Palma, and La Fortaleza in Pollença, a 17th-century fortress on a hill surrounded by the Mediterranean, where TV series The Night Manager (2016) was shot, are very special.”

Mallorca has hosted some challenging shoots recently including HBO’s The Climb, showcasing the extreme form of climbing known as Psicobloc, with Jason Momoa (Aquaman/2018) and top climber Chris Sharma. “The weather was really bad, and the rocks were slippery,” Barbadillo says.

“It wasn’t easy, but they ended up doing almost everything they wanted. We’re also regularly hosting shoots from Bollywood, China and Japan, and big names are coming here too, including upcoming series from Netfix, HBO and Amazon.”

Forest and desert in Navarre

According to Sara Sevilla, commissioner at the Navarra Film Commission, it’s the mix of original and varied locations, convenient logistics and a generous tax deduction that make the region attractive. “The diversity of locations ofers a wide variety of artistic and creative

Scenes for Terry George's The Promise (2015) were shot in the semi-desert of Bardenas in Navarre

San Sebastian-Gipuzkoa is one of the privileged enclaves in Europe. Due to its proximity to several countries, its landscape diversity, its experience with more than 1,700 shoots and recordings, because of its industry and local professionals, its quality of life standards, safety, employment, qualification and because it has established itself as a welcoming and friendly region.

WWW.SANSEBASTIAN-GIPUZKOAFILMCOMMISSION.EUS

An Apple TV Screensaver shot in Iceland with Hero Productions and Logan

opportunities within a fairly small radius. And shoots in Navarre can beneft from a 40% tax deduction. But more than anything else, we love to point to sites such as the Valley of Rio Aragon, where the medieval village of Gallipienzo is surrounded by a unique landscape that mixes the two main ingredients that productions look for in the Navarre: forested landscape and period architecture. I would say those are the looks that best defne us.” Then there’s the Irati Forest, the Roncal Valley, the Urbasa mountain range, the Castle of Olite and the Monastery of Irache, all of which have hosted major productions, most recently the Mark Waters movie Vampire Academy (2014). “The scale of that production meant that it involved most of the technical staf based in Navarre. And fnally, all this mix of forest, mountains and unique buildings is perfectly contrasted by the utterly unexpected semi-desert of Bardenas Reales.”

Sub-Zero magic in Iceland

As Búi Baldvinsson, founder of Icelandic production company Hero Productions happily admits, he still has moments when he cannot quite believe that he gets paid to be the country’s go-to production company. “There are some special places that induce a euphoric state, such as being on a foating iceberg in the Glacier Lagoon, feeling the motion of the iceberg and hearing the sounds of nature,” he says. “Then there’s Stokksnes, where a thin layer of water fows over the sand creating a huge mirror that refects the mountains. It just takes everyone’s breath away.”

Recent shoots include an Apple TV Screensaver with creative agency Logan, and American Eagle with Rosco Productions. For the latter shoot, the challenge was getting a freworks permit for the Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon in a season when they aren’t allowed.

“That was a logistical problem solved through good connections to the government and strong friendship with the land owners,” Baldvinsson says. “The crew was setting up gas pyro letters for the background of the images, and we came up with the idea of tilting the frework cakes and shooting from the beach into the lagoon, saving a ton of time reloading compared to having them on barges.”

Shooting in Iceland is globally popular. “US companies have shot here, blockbusters like Star Wars [Episode VII - The Force Awakens/2015, Episode VIII - The Last Jedi/2017], The Secret Life of Walter Mitty [2013], Prometheus [2012], James Bond [Die Another Day/2002] and Oblivion [2013],” Baldvinsson says. “We have excellent crews able to work in the harshest conditions, no matter if it’s summer or winter. Equipment rentals are of the highest standard with the latest gear and we’re all about green energy, making it a popular place for more environmentally friendly productions.”

The series Sin Limites flming on Azkorra Beach, Bilbao-Bizkaia

Period paradise in Poland

Poland has an impressive variety of mountain ranges, the Baltic Sea and coast, forests, lakes and rivers and even a desert,” general director of the Polish Film Institute, Radosław Smigulski, says. “In terms of architecture, Poland also ofers locations for every style and epoch. The country sits at the heart of Central Europe where many cultures meet and many diferent styles — from Romanesque to post-modern — are represented in our architecture. Whatever you want to recreate, whether it’s the Middle Ages, the realities of World War II, the communist era or a modern city, you can fnd it all here — and, importantly, all in close proximity to each other.”

The high quality of Poland’s crews, producers and directors is well known and now the country is focused on showing that to the rest of the world. “We want to demonstrate our creative potential through co-productions and Joika and Silent Twins [2022] are great examples of this,” Smigulski says. “Joika, directed by James Napier Robertson, is about one of the most famous American ballerinas, Joy Womack. It is a Polish-New Zealand co-production — the two countries have a co-production agreement — which had Klaudia Smieja-Rostworowska from Warsaw-based production company, Madants, in charge of the Polish production side. SmiejaRostworowska previously produced titles including High Life [2018] and Mr. Jones [2019].”

Silent Twins, the story of the identical twin sisters June and Jennifer Gibbons, faced a double challenge — sanitation and location. Directed by Agnieszka Smoczynska, the set required a meticulous reconstruction of Britain in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, with interiors and landscapes created for the flm. “It was extremely demanding, especially because, thus far, people had gone elsewhere to flm these types of period looks. As with Joika, the shooting of Silent Twins was at the peak of COVID in Poland, but thanks to the help of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the Polish Film Institute, it was possible to efciently move around the country with the foreign cast and crew,” Smigulski says.

Everywhere’s a location in San Sebastian-Gipuzkoa

The truth about San Sebastian is that the whole city is a potential location thanks to its unspoilt streetscapes and buildings. Likewise the mountains and coast of Gipuzkoa are perfect cinematic backdrops. “Then there are the villages and countryside, which are exceptional,” San Sebastian-Gipuzkoa Film Commission’s Marta Zabaleta says. “Examples include Itzurun beach in Zumaia, where Game of Thrones [2011-19] was shot and where several feature flms and commercials have been flmed. La Concha Beach played a leading role in Woody Allen’s Rifin’s Festival [2020] and in the J&B commercial directed by Tony Kaye in 2021.”

The Miramar Palace has recently been the setting for American series, Vampire Academy (2014) and is much in-demand as a location. The Infantado Palace was the setting for Sin Limites (2013-) and El Internado: Las Cumbres (2021), both for Amazon Prime. Zarautz beach, Irún, Hondarribia, the Igartubeiti farmhouse, the Peñas de Aia mountains alongside

villages like Soraluze and Tolosa, have hosted shoots for Icia Bollain’s Maixabel (2021); Mariana Barroso’s La Linea Invisible (2020); Aitor Arregi’s Handia (2017); HBO historical drama series Patria (2020); and Pablo Agüero’s Akelarre (2020).

“Patria, presented us with a challenge as we had to set up an entire boulevard in the centre of San Sebastian to shoot a bus burning. Then Woody Allen’s flm Rifin’s Festival, was also a tough one but not because there were complicated scenes, it was that it was shot in summer with the city full of tourists. It was hard to keep the location secure and closed of,” Zabaleta adds.

The San Sebastian-Gipuzkoa Film Commission has been operational since 2003, prides itself on its agility and fexibility, and operates as a one-stop shop. “We ofer exemptions such as free use of public spaces in San Sebastian, plus we have discount agreements with other highly impressive private locations,” Zabaleta says. “On top of that, there are also tax incentives, including a 25% deduction for foreign productions. But above all, San Sebastian-Gipuzkoa is an exceptional environment with an audiovisual ecosystem endorsed by multiple national and international awards.”

Madrid’s abundant gifts

According to Víctor Aertsen, communications manager at the Madrid Film Ofce, Madrid and its surroundings had a productive but highly challenging 2021. “Wes Anderson used a large area in the south-east of the region,

This disused highway outside Madrid was used for La Fortuna, the frst TV series from Spanish director Alejandro Amenabar, produced for Movistar+

outside the city of Madrid, called Chinchon and Colmenar de Oreja, to recreate the Arizona desert for his latest [at press time] untitled, flm,” Aertsen says. “The logistics were complex because the area they needed for the shoot was large and belonged to many diferent owners, requiring considerable co-ordination to get an agreement and make the project possible.” Another challenging flm, he says, was De Caperucita a Loba (2022), from Spanish director Chus Gutierrez. “For one scene we managed to close the Gran Vía for an afternoon and night — bearing in mind that this is the main commercial and transit avenue in the centre of the city of Madrid — to recreate a dream sequence that included several horses, dressed as unicorns, riding through this iconic street. Also, in 2021, the streets of Madrid hosted the chases featured in the last season of Money Heist (2017-21), the international phenomenon from Netfix, the last season of which premiered in December 2021.”

Very little is of limits for flmmakers in Madrid: “Some of the most emblematic, institutional buildings, including several ministries and the Moncloa Palace — the ofcial residence and workplace of the Prime Minister of Spain — were locations in La Fortuna (2021), the frst series from Spanish director Alejandro Amenabar, produced for Movistar+ and AMC Studios. “La Fortuna takes place between Spain and North America, but due to the COVID restrictions, most of the scenes that take place in North America were shot in the region of Madrid. They also flmed on a disused highway, allowing them to recreate a chase using a lot of trafc,” Aertsen says. “Madrid also hosted several international series in 2021 including Netfix spy thriller In From the Cold (2022-), starring Margarita Levieva, and shot entirely in Madrid, including scenes that recreate a Russian city. The upcoming Amazon/BBC One series The English, a western starring Emily Blunt, used great outdoor landscapes alongside astonishing palaces to recreate a plethora of wealthy interiors.”

Director Ferdinando Cito Filomarino on location in Greece for Netfix series Beckett. Photo: Yannis Drakoulidis

The city ‘s most popular exteriors include Gran Via and the Plaza de Callao, known as Madrid's Times Square. The city also features unique underground infrastructure, for example the Tanque de Tormentas, a spectacular underground deposit created to collect rainwater; the emergency tunnels of the M-30 underground bypass; and the tunnels of Madrid’s Metro, which also ofer an old, abandoned station in perfect condition. The Railway Museum, a historic train station with a large collection of locomotives, is also an popular location among flmmakers.

“A large, unfnished, construction that was planned to be an Olympic aquatic centre, has become an incredible flm set due to its immense, brutalist structure and galleries,” Aertsen adds. “Heading out of the city, there are some incredible locations including areas like Rivas Vaciamadrid, Ciempozuelos and the strange rocks of La Pedriza, plus the Alpedrete quarry that resembles the surface of Mars.”

In the north of the region there are also notable castles like the pristine Manzanares El Real; monasteries, churches, palaces and other historical buildings, all surrounded by lush green forests. “There’s arid semi-desert in the south, then an hour to the north-east there’s Cercedilla, our very own Swiss Alps; and the enchanted forest in La Hiruela. In fact, some Sierra Norte locations resemble those used for The Lord of the Rings movies.”

Greece: so much more than archaeology

Historical sites and islands of every shape, character and size are well-known Greek location assets, but the mainland also has many outstanding and less obvious sites. “Places like Epirus, the pristine paradise between the Pindos mountains and the Ionian Sea is one of them,” Stavroula Geronimaki, operations manager at the Hellenic Film Commission, says. “The area was the location for Netfix’s series Beckett (2021), directed by Ferdinando Cito Filomarino. Pindos is an untouched mountainous mass with virgin forests, the spectacular Vikos Gorge — the second deepest in the world — and traditional stone bridges of exceptional architecture. I’d also suggest the many picturesque villages of Zagoria, with their paved paths, as being exquisite locations.”

And of course there are plenty of cityscapes with cinematic potential. “The Stavros Niarchos Foundation

Snow-crowned trees on Riisitunturi Fell in Posio, Lapland, where Sir David Attenborough flmed for TheGreen Planet series

Cultural Center in Athens, houses the National Library of Greece and the Greek National Opera and is surrounded by the Stavros Niarchos Park. Designed by Renzo Piano, it is a state-of-the-art location that’s very important for Greece as it was built during the crisis. It has become a landmark location for Athenians and has the potential to host amazing productions,” Geronimaki says. “I would also point to the new premises of the National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST), which opened in 2020. Housed in the former Fix brewery on Syngrou Avenue, it’s a large, iconic postindustrial landmark in modern Athens that has a 3,123 sq m. footprint.”

Traditional collides with modern in Bilbao Bizkaia

Bilbao Bizkaia is known globally for its multiple and extraordinary locations and also, since 2020, for its ability to carry on despite the pandemic. “We demonstrated that safe flming is a reality in full compliance with the authorities’ health standards,” says Xabier Ochandiano, city councillor for Economic Development, Trade and Employment, Bilbao City Council. “El Cuarto Pasajero [title TBC/2020], was directed by Alex de la Iglesia, a native of Bilbao who returned in 2021, coinciding with a moment of international success for his work on 30 Monedas [HBO/2020-]. El Cuarto Pasajero was complex, requiring the use of two kilometres of motorway in one direction for three days. We were able to provide the section of motorway accessing Bilbao Airport, mainly due to there being a signifcant decrease in the number of fights,” Ochandiano says. “And with help from Bilbao Airport and the municipal authorities, vehicles were diverted.”

The Netfix series Intimidad (2021), produced in collaboration with production company Txintxua Films, is scheduled to premiere this year. “Intimidad flmed for six months in Bilbao Bizkaia, using more than 100 indoor and outdoor locations, with the whole shoot carried out sustainably,” Ochandiano says. “One of the most complicated locations was the protagonist’s principal residence, the inside of which was built within a municipal building provided by the Bilbao City Council. There is also a host of unique urban sites including the Bilbao neighbourhoods Casco Viejo, Bilbao La Vieja and Olabeaga-Zorrozaurre, which combine historic spaces with avant-garde urban sites and post-industrial areas converted into cultural spaces. And we have to mention unique infrastructure such as the Bizkaia Bridge, and San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, an islet of the coast of Biscay, internationally recognised as the setting for Game of Thrones.”

Sky and water in perfect harmony in the Netherlands

Mention the Netherlands and most people think of the urban/historical delights of Amsterdam, Amersfoort and Haarlem. But don’t under estimate

The other-worldy Adan Martin Auditorio in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

the country’s waterscapes: “The IJsselmeer is a huge natural, freshwater lake. It’s non-tidal, has a horizon just like at sea, but is only four-to-fve metres deep, which makes it great for rigging constructions. And above all, it boasts the unpredictable, scattering skies which are an inspiration for DoPs and flmmakers alike, just like they were for the Dutch Masters in the Golden Age,” the head of the Netherlands Film Commission, Bas van der Ree, says. “But of course Amsterdam is still the number-one requested location because of its uniqueness and compact, cosmopolitan feel. Also it often stars as the unique and sole location in a screenplay, not infrequently as a WWII backdrop. But the city authorities are currently reluctant to issue flming permits due to the maintenance of over 650 old bridges and hundreds of kilometres of quays — all this amidst the hundreds of thousands of tourists, bikers and delivery vans. Fortunately we have many other beautiful cities and places which can double for Amsterdam.”

A major challenge for the Netherlands Film Commission came from Dunkirk (2017) director Christopher Nolan, who wanted to mount an IMAX camera on the wing of a Spitfre fghter plane. “These planes came from the UK and, by entering Dutch airspace, they lose their airworthiness certifcate under Dutch regulations,” van der Ree says. “The supervising location team had tried to get a permit, which was refused. So the Film Commission intervened and worked behind the scenes with the support of the former CEO of the Netherlands Film Fund. Engineers at one Ministry worked hard on new technical requirements for airworthiness and fnally made it happen. The Dutch line producer also did a tremendous job on this and the entire production of 19 shooting days, in and above the IJsselmeer, were seen as a huge success.”

Compactness and diversity, plus a warm welcome in Portugal

According to Manual Claro, commissioner at the Portugal Film Commission, it’s tough to pick just a few unique locations, given the sheer number of them. “For example there are the historic villages in the centre known as the Aldeias Historicas; the Douro vineyards and their riverine landscapes;

The Espaces d’Abraxas, built in the 1980s by Ricardo Bofll, situated in Noisy-le-Grand in the suburbs of Paris

the palaces and monuments in Lisbon and the Tagus Valley; the coastline in Alentejo and the Algarve; and the astonishing, enchanted Laurissilva forest in Madeira, plus the lakes and waterfalls in the Azores,” he says. “And we like a challenge here. Recent shoots that asked a lot from everyone involved, included flming on bridges for Money Heist in 2020, as well as in historical monuments and ancient villages for The House of the Dragon [2022], last year. Because Portugal is immensely rich in heritage and diverse scenery, many productions require specifc handling of flming issues, that we take on and resolve through co-operation with local and national authorities.”

Claro is clear as to why any shoot should choose Portugal: “Throughout the year, you can fnd clear, blue skies and a beautiful light with the most amazing, diverse scenery that can cover pretty much anything you’d wish to flm, and all in proximity. The quality of our teams and professionals, the thriving studios and equipment, the co-production agreements with more than 60 countries, our scouting programme and, of course, last but not least, one of the most competitive cash-rebate systems in Europe — all in a country that is stable, safe and very welcoming.”

A dark tunnel in the City of Light

Tom Cruise always demands spectacular chase scenes for the Mission Impossible (1996-) franchise, so Stéphane Martinet, international promotion manager at Film Paris Région assumed that he would use the River Seine for Mission Impossible: Fall Out (2018). “From the river, you see landmarks such as Notre-Dame, the Louvre and the Eifel Tower,” Martinet says. “Then someone told him about the Saint Martin tunnel, a covered canal, a location that is highly unexpected as it’s in the middle of Paris. The main difculty was getting the city authorities to co-ordinate the diferent administrative services and to convince them to agree to block other boat trafc. We also had to negotiate with the producers about the impact of the speedboat scene because speed is normally limited.” Cruise

Leane Best as Detective Frida Rask, Adam Palsson as Kurt Wallander in Young Wallander. Photo: Andrej Vasilenko/Netfix

wanted to go fast and eventually he got his way. “The contrast between the tunnel and the bright summer light is spectacular. And it all took place right under Place de la Bastille.”

Martinet’s favourite locations include the Espaces d’Abraxas, built in the 80s by Ricardo Bofll. “Situated in Noisy-le-Grand in the suburbs of Paris, it’s a futuristic location which pulls you into a fantasy world of multiple architectural references. The columns and pediments and the unique dimensions are spectacular,” he says. “The atmosphere is one of a superpower headquarters, which can be good or evil — and, unsurprisingly, it was used in the Hunger Games flm [The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1/2014, Part 2/2015].

“Paris is a hugely popular flming destination, so much so that various Hollywood production companies are opening ofces in the city,” Martinet says. “They are hiring French employees who know how to deliver the locations they need. Both the major platforms and studios regularly come to Paris — they enjoy the fne hotels and gourmet restaurants.”

Brussels, a multilingual city in the heart of Europe

According to Julien Schreiber of Screen.Brussels, several major projects have visited the city in the recent past: “Goliath [2016-21], Pandore [2019-] and 1985 (2018) have all been challenging yet thrilling for us to welcome to Brussels. Generally with large-scale projects, our main task is to steer the requests for authorisations through the various ofcial authorities (municipalities, police departments, environment or transportation authorities, federal state, regional mobility department, electricity/

Mallorca has an impressive variety of locations, including mountains and 310 sunny days per year

gas transportation providers etc.). In Brussels, don’t forget that this also happens in a minimum of two languages, and that one place, street, building or park often involves several jurisdictions and we deal with all that through solid preparation well ahead of the shoot.”

Malta: a jewel in the southern Mediterranean

Malta has seen a food of international productions over the past year, with several projects shooting across diferent locations on the island — among them Universal’s Jurassic World: Dominion (2022), Apple TV+ series’ Foundation (2021-) and Sky’s Das Boot (2018-), which returned to Malta for its third season. The UK’s Channel 5 series The Holiday (2021-) and The Madame Blanc Mysteries (2021-) both shot around Malta in recent months. And Apple Studios’ Napoleonic epic Kitbag, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Joaquin Phoenix, is shooting in locations on Malta this year.

“Jurassic World: Dominion was shooting here in August 2020, one of the frst big-studio productions to resume location shooting during the pandemic,” says Aidan Cassar, creative advisor at the Malta Film Commission. “In February, Universal Pictures released the frst trailer for the movie featuring scenes of bikes chased by a mob of hungry velociraptors in capital city Valletta’s main square and dinosaurs hopping on various roofs in the city. The multi-million production also had scenes shot in Vittoriosa, Mellieha and Pembroke.”

Jurassic World: Dominion was directed by Colin Trevorrow, who received the Malta Film Commissioner’s Award during the frst edition of the Malta Film Awards earlier this year. “Alongside the island’s many natural and architectural sites, one of the most attractive locations here is Malta Film Studios,” Cassar says. “With two huge unique exterior water tanks benefting from a natural horizon and equipped with special efects equipment, the complex has serviced over 200 productions, including Captain Phillips (2013), Foundation, local movie The Boat (2018), Renegades (2021) and Ridley Scott’s classic White Squall (1996). And next to the studios is Fort Ricasoli, one of Malta’s most popular flming locations, a bastion that was built by the Order of St John between 1670 and 1698. The fort has been extensively used as a location for feature flms and television productions throughout the past two decades.”